Holy Monday, is the day after Palm Sunday,when Jesus, weeps over Jerusalem,cursed the fig tree, and cleansed the temple.
Yesterday, on Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph!
Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem.
Lk 19:41-44
Jesus cried aloud in anguish over the future of jerusalem as He saw what would happen to them 40 years later; in AD 70 more than one million Jews died in one of the most gruesome and pointless war. Jesus, came for the Jews but they did not believe that He was the long awaited Messiah. Jesus knew that His chosen people, the Jews, would pay dearly for rejecting Him.
We should not judge people (James 4:12) over their sins, we should weep over their sin (Psalm 119:136). Like Jesus, let us feel sorrow and pray for them, let us ask God to forgive them. A very tough act to follow, so on this Holy Monday, let us be more like Jesus, and pray for those who have hurt or persecuted us
Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree on Holy Monday: (Mark 11:12–14)
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again”. And his disciples heard him say it.
The fig tree represents the Jewish people, as Jesus found no fruits of faith in His chosen people. Symbolically, the fig tree represented the spiritual death of Israel; a very religious and pious nation outwardly, but because of their sins did not produce any fruits of faith.
Thus, His anger was righteous. Scripture says it in Is 5:6-7.
Are you living a fruitful life for our Lord, Jesus Christ? What are some of the fruits that you bear for the Lord?
Angry Jesus Cleanses The Temple because Mk 11:15-19.
- He was going to die for all people, Jews or Gentiles.It is not that the selling of animals in the temple that made Jesus so angry but, because, the Jews were selling the animals in the part of the temple grounds set aside for the Gentiles to pray. The Jews action showed that the Gentiles prayers did not matter. And Jesus was going to die in a few days later to reunite all of God’s scattered children. Jn 12:32
- Cleansing and Sanctification of the Temple
Theologically, Jesus is saying temple worship is over. Jesus is the new temple, He is the Lamb and He is the high Priest. His blood will cleanse us as He cleansed the temple to keep it holy and sacred, as it was being used as a den of thieves.
1 Peter 2:5 “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Since Jesus is the new temple, and our bodies are the temple of God, How can we keep our temples worthy for God to dwell within?
Let’s remember this Holy Week, on Monday, to pray for our enemies, bear fruits for the Kingdom of God, to keep our temples worthy for the Messiah to live within.-
Happy Holy Monday.